A melodious date with Bach, Beethoven at The Vienna Concert

Very few cities in the world can boast of a musical legacy more vibrant than that of Vienna, the Austrian capital. And on Monday, the symphonic sounds from the ‘music capital of the world’ reverberated in Hyderabad when an orchestral ensemble paid tribute to some of the great Western classical musicians from Vienna.

The nine-member string

orchestra

of ‘The Vienna Concert’, comprising six violinists, two cellists and a double bassist from Berlin, New York and Sweden captivated the Hyderabadi audience as they brought to life compositions of masters such as

Johann Sebastian Bach

, Ludwig Beethoven and Edvard Grieg. The evening also hosted two soloists, oboist Joao Miguel Moreira da Silva and pianist Severin von Eckardstein, who garnered roaring applause from the packed hall with their impeccable performances.

The audience was informed beforehand that the air conditioning in the ballroom had been turned down to make the acoustics amicable for the music. And no one
complained as soothing yet thoughtful compositions of master composers filled the air creating a transcendental atmosphere.The concert began with the string
ensemble performing Holberg Suite Op 40t, a wonderful work by Romantic era (late 18th and early 19th century) composer, Edvard Grieg.

Composed to mark the 200th birth anniversary of the classical era playwright and philosopher Ludvig Holberg, the work that has suite of five movements began with a lively Praludium, followed by a thoughtful Sarabande, an elegant Gavotte, an impressively introspective Air, and finally, the bouncy Rigaudon in Allegro (a fast tempo). Originally composed for the

piano

, the shimmering sounds of the ensemble transported the audience to the picturesque landscapes of the Nordic countries touching upon their folklore and culture.

Next, it was time for the audience to soak in some moody melodies from the Baroque era (1600-1750) as oboist Joao Miguel Moreira da Silva came on stage to perform Bach’s Concerto for Oboe, Strings and Continuo in F Major. Arranged and edited by Hermann Töttcher and Gottfried Müller, the piece has three movements — Allegro, Siciliano and Allegro. Miguel, accompanied by the string ensemble, flawlessly presented all the moods — a sparkling intro, the peppy Siciliano (which is named after an old dance form from Sicily) and the vivacious Allegro that was similar to the first piece. The string ensemble complimented Miguel and both took turns to take the lead and at times, established the other with apt accompaniment.

After Miguel took a bow, it was time for classical pianist Eckardstein to give the audience a glimpse into the mind of Western classical music’s most celebrated
composer — Ludwig Beethoven. Performing the master’s

Piano Concerto

No 1 on C Major, Eckardstein put forward the composition’s three movements with great flair.

It waschallenging for the audience to refrain from applauding as the pianist effortlessly went from the initial serene Allegro to thethoughtful Largo and finally, the contrasting yet playful Rondo. And as he released the final notes of the piece, the audience leaped off their seats and burst into a thumping applause as Eckardstein took a bow.

After the concert, an ecstatic Julius Bekesch, one of the violinists in the string ensemble, said. “I am visiting India for the first time and I am feeling fortunate to be beginning my Indian sojourn from Hyderabad. Yesterday, I was in the Old City and was amazed to see so many people; the streets are so colourful and the people so hospitable. Tomorrow I will visit that part of the city again and do a little shopping for my loved ones, particular for my girlfriend as I am sure she would love some of the traditional stuff you get here,” said the German, signing off.